A New Light
by kuromochii
Summary: She needed a new light, a new hope. Something to help her cling to life, to give her a reason to keep fighting, and she had finally found it.
1. First Encounter

_**~Okay, so here's my second fanfic. I do have to warn you though, if you are easily triggered you might not want to read this. There is self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I hope that all of you that read this will enjoy the story! I'll try to update as soon as possible, but with school starting soon it might be a bit harder to write. also, if you have any tips on how to improve my writing, I'd be grateful if you could tell me!~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story.**_

* * *

Akemi hit the ground hard.

"Why do you act so perfect, Etsuko? We all know you're not, don't we girls? Stop lying to everyone!" Akemi felt the painful kick in her back. It was Kerria again, with the painful insults that Akemi already knew were true. She didn't even bother to try to avoid the punishment she received daily.

No one noticed how torn up she was, all her scrapes and bruises, the way she flinched whenever someone talked to her or touched her. No one noticed that she was breaking down on the inside. She only had one friend, and her three younger siblings were kind to her, but they were often scared of what they might find if they tried to dig deeper into everything Akemi was hiding. Her mother and father were always too busy with their companies and trying to uphold their reign on their small part of the business world that they never noticed when Akemi would come home with her long, white hair all tangled and tears threatening to spill from her broken, crystal blue eyes. No one noticed her. She knew that people did care for her, they just didn't bother or didn't have the time to take care of her.

"Now tell me, who's lying?" Kerria asked.

"I am," Akemi whimpered.

"And whose loyal mutt are you?"

"Your's."

"Good dog. Come on, girls. We don't want to be around this filthy mutt longer than we have to." Kerria and her small group of girls left Akemi on the ground behind the school, crying. When she was sure they were gone, Akemi stood up and brushed the dirt off her yellow school uniform, surprisingly untorn.

Akemi wondered the school grounds a bit more, finally collapsing on a bench in the garden, about to break down. _Is this what my point in life is? Is it to satisfy Kerria's needs? Is that what I was put here to do? If so, then what's the point in living anymore?_

Tears rolled down Akemi's cold, raw cheeks. Finally, they stopped, and Akemi sat on the bench, being covered by the gentle snow.

"Excuse me, princess," Akemi flinched at the sudden voice. She looked up to see one of the most popular boys in school, Tamaki Suoh, standing in front of her. "May I ask why you're sitting in the snow? Isn't it cold?"

If Akemi answered truthfully, she was sitting in the snow to try to numb her whole body. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore, and the snow was no longer cold to her, since her whole body seemed to be the same temperature. Akemi just stared at Tamaki, taking him in. She had never been up close to him, since she wasn't one for socializing and wasn't welcome around any popular kids. If Akemi was caught here, she was sure to get a beating from Kerria the next day twice as bad as that day's. Akemi knew her place, and Kerria made sure that she knew to stay there.

Tamaki reached out and grabbed her hand, Akemi flinching at the sudden touch. His hands were warm and brought the feelings she had just recently lost back into her body.

"You really are cold! Why don't you come with me inside and we can have some tea?"

 _Oh no,_ Akemi thought. _I'm being reeled in. He's trying to take me to the Host Club. Kerria's there. If I go, I know I'll regret it, but…_

Akemi didn't say anything as Tamaki pulled her to her feet and lead her inside the school.

"You're name is Akemi Etsuko, right? You're at the top of your class. Well, we're almost there."

"Wait, I can-" Akemi started.

Tamaki looked back at her as they were walking up the stairs to get to the music room where the Host Club was. His look was kind and gentle, but Akemi couldn't go in there, not if she didn't want to get hurt. She gently slid her hands out of Tamaki's and ran back out of the school.

"Wait!" She heard Tamaki call to her.

Akemi kept on running. The limo that had come to pick her up from school was still waiting there for her, as patiently as it did every day. Akemi quickly jumped in the back and closed the door, the limo driving off before she even saw Tamaki reach the entrance gate.

That night, Akemi curled up on her huge queen sized bed, in her huge bedroom the size of a normal apartment, inside her huge mansion that made her feel tiny and insignificant in the huge world that she lived in, where she was at the bottom of the social pyramid.

* * *

Akemi woke up the next morning with a yawn, dreading going back to school. She would have to try to avoid Tamaki for the whole day, possibly for the rest of the school year, so she wouldn't have to explain to him. It wouldn't be that hard, since no one that popular ever even so much as glanced her way. When she got to school she had a big surprise.

"Hello, Akemi!" Tamaki said, greeting her at the school gate. She saw Kerria look at her, utterly disgusted by the sight before her. Akemi, the dog, talking with Tamaki, the king.

"Good morning, Tamaki. Now I really must be going," Akemi tried to walk away, but she wasn't fast enough. Tamaki grabbed her wrist and wouldn't let go.

"Akemi, is something bothering you?" Tamaki asked, his voice full of concern. It took Akemi by surprise, hearing that worrying tone of voice. She hadn't heard someone talk to her like that for a long time. Tears were starting to gather in the corners of her eyes.

"It's nothing," Akemi said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, which she often did when she was lying. She finally tugged her wrist out of Tamaki's grasp and ran into the school building.

* * *

"Akemi!" Someone tackled Akemi in the hallway. It was a small girl with bright orange hair and big brown eyes.

"Etsu, can you please let go of me?" The small girl was still hugging Akemi tightly.

"Sorry! It's just I haven't seen you for weeks!" Etsu released Akemi and smiled up at her. Akemi smiled back.

"Maybe you should stop eating all that junk food and you won't get sick all the time," Akemi teased.

"It wasn't my fault this time!" Etsu complained. "Those cakes were just sitting there, begging to be eaten!"

"Okay, but it better not happen again," Akemi wagged her finger.

"Alright, let's get to class," Etsu lead the way, Akemi following closely behind.

* * *

"Akemi, stop running from me."

Akemi stopped dead in her tracks.

 _No, not now_.

Tamaki came up to her and put his hand on her shoulder to turn her around. Akemi was forced to look towards Tamaki, but she wouldn't make eye contact.

"Can you look at me? Please?" Tamaki's voice was a whisper. "Do you hate me? Is that why you keep running from me?"

Akemi still was looking at her feet, unable to answer.

"Do you really hate me that much? That you won't even look me in the eye? We just barely met yesterday."

"No, I-I don't hate you…"

"Then why?"

"I-I…"

"Hey, Tamaki, why are you talking to someone as plain as her?" Kerria said, grabbing Tamaki's hand away from Akemi. "She has a lot to do, so you shouldn't bother her. She is at the top of her class, and we wouldn't want her to get bad grades, would we? So she doesn't have the time to go to the Host Club."

Tamaki looked conflicted, as if deciding between Kerria and Akemi. He looked at Akemi, her head still hanging.

"If you didn't have time, you could've just told me," Tamaki said.

Akemi didn't say anything.

"Come on, Tamaki, let's go," Kerria said, dragging him away.

"Akemi, come on, let's go," Etsu said, taking Akemi down the hall, away from Kerria.

* * *

They walked up all the stairs and onto the roof, it was there getaway when times got hard.

"So, I assume you're going to get a beating later today?" Etsu asked.

"Yeah, probably during lunch," Akemi responded.

"Ugh, I wish I was still sick," Etsu complained.

Akemi and Etsu were both victims of Kerria's bullying. They both took different defences. Akemi tried to ignore every living being around her, her emotions were numbed, and she often cut herself to be able to feel anything, to prove she was still living. Etsu tried to be joyus and happy, but she still avoided talking with anyone who knew Kerria, and she made herself sick so that she could miss out on school, and her emotions showed quite easily, which made her more prone to Kerria's attacks. Both girls cried themselves to sleep at night, and both had suicidal thoughts.

"It might leave some bruises today. Hopefully they don't end up on my head, that'll be harder to hide."

"Yeah, I'm probably going to be in the same boat after school," Etsu laughed without humor. "When will this end?"

"Maybe after high school?"

"Probably not. All of our families are the head of giant companies that we'll take over, we'll still have to deal with her, the rest of our lives. I don't want to do this anymore."

Etsu began crying, and Akemi hugged her.

"At least we have each other, and we don't want to drag anyone else into the pain we receive," Akemi said. "We're kind of like quiet heroes in a sense, saving others by taking the blame for them."

That was true, Akemi and Etsu often took the blame for other students insulting any of the more popular students. If someone hurt a popular student, Akemi would tell Kerria that she told them to do it. If someone started a nasty rumor about any popular students, Etsu would say that she started it. They always took the blame, and even the it hurt, they were happy they could protect someone else, even if they'd never be acknowledged for it.

"We better get back to class before someone notices we're missing," Etsu said, wiping her tears away.

Akemi took her by the hand and they walked into their class together.


	2. Questions and Goodbyes

_**~Okay! Second chapter, finally! I know that it's been forever since I posted the first chapter, but I started school and then I had a lot of work to do, then I transferred to a new school and things were crazy. I'm going to try to update more frequently now, but I've been having a writer's block recently, so we'll just have to see.~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story._**

* * *

After her morning classes, Akemi walked down the grand staircases in the hallways and into one of the bathrooms. She locked herself in one of the stalls and pulled out the box cutter that she kept tucked in her shoe. She rolled up her sleeve and stared at all the scars, most of them still rather raw. They were reminders to her that she was still a human after all, that her blood still ran red and warm.

She took the box cutter and pressed it to her arm, making a slight gasp when it went into her skin and the blood started trickling down her arm. She wiped the blood off the box cutter with some toilet paper and tucked it back in her shoe. She looked back at her bleeding arm for awhile, then cleaned up the blood and wrapped some toilet paper around her fresh cut so she wouldn't get blood on her uniform.

Leaving the bathroom, she went to the cafeteria to get lunch, but then decided not to eat since it would just get beaten out of her later. So, instead she went back outside and sat on one of the benches. Sure, it was freezing cold, but it reminded Akemi of herself.

Winter was cold, plain, and nobody liked it.

Akemi looked at the palms of her hands. Her hands were bony, and so was the rest of her body. She often skipped meals, usually just breakfast and lunch, and would get her nutrition from the family dinners she had every night. She sometimes passed out from fatigue when she got home from school, which was cause for some concern, but no one asked about it.

Akemi was beginning to feel light headed, and was about to fall over, until she felt a hand on her shoulder which made her jump.

"Excuse me, miss, but you don't seem to be doing well."

Akemi looked at the person who had caught her right before she fell. It was Kyouya Ootori.

Akemi jumped up from the bench she was sitting on and brushed of his hand.

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm fine," Akemi bowed to Kyouya then hurried and ran off behind the school building, where she came face to face with Kerria's hand.

A firm smack resounded behind the building.

"Who were you just talking to? Because to me it sounded like Kyouya Ootori," Kerria kicked Akemi in the gut. "And what about this morning with Tamaki Suoh? How long have you been talking with him?"

Kerria tripped Akemi and she fell to the ground.

"You dirty little mutt! Remember your place!" Kerria continuously kicked her until she threw up what little food she had in her stomach. "Just remember, you're not allowed to talk to anyone in the Host Club! Including that new commoner boy, Haruhi!"

With that, Kerria and her gang walked back into the school, little did any of them know, Kyouya had followed Akemi and watched the whole thing. He even documented it in his notebook.

Kyouya swiftly turned back around to go find Hikaru and Kaoru. As he entered the cafeteria, he was nearly tackled by Tamaki.

"So, what did you find out?" Tamaki had ordered Kyouya to go and talk to Akemi to see if anything really was wrong, and he had found out a lot more than anticipated.

He was trying to decide whether or not he should tell Tamaki what was going on, fearing that it would only make things harder on the poor girl.

"She's just been very busy trying to keep her grades up. She doesn't want to disappoint her family, plus she's shy and doesn't like talking with other people much, so you don't need to worry about her. Now have you seen Hikaru and Kaoru anywhere?"

Tamaki looked disappointed that Akemi didn't need him to be her knight in shining armor, but told Kyouya he had seen the mischievous twins near the table in the back corner.

Kyouya quickly went over to them and whispered something in their ears, and they jumped up from the table and raced outside.

* * *

Akemi had her back to the wall. Her breathing was shaky and her whole body ached. Silent tears streamed down her face as she touched her forehead to her knees. Her bleached hair was tangled and dirty, and the same went for her uniform.

"Kyouya was right, she does look awful."

Akemi immediately looked up, surprised by how many people were taking interest in her today and by the bad luck that it was always someone from the Host Club.

"He wasn't lying about what he told us."

It was Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. Akemi quickly made to stand up, but became dizzy and staggered about for a moment before the Hitachiin twins grabbed her by the arms to keep her from falling over.

"Wow, you're in pretty bad shape," Kaoru commented.

"When was the last time you ate? You're as skinny as a twig," Hikaru said as the twins dragged her between them into a back entrance to the school that no one ever used. Akemi realized that they were intentionally trying to avoid attention as they went in the direction of the music room where the Host Club met. At this time of day, no one would be in the room since everyone was supposed to be at lunch.

When they entered the room, they placed Akemi in a chair and wouldn't let her leave. A few minutes later, Kyouya came in followed by Haruhi.

"Great, you managed to catch her before she ran away," Kyouya stated.

"She actually almost passed out, so that made the job a bit easier," Kaoru explained.

"She's much too thin for any normal girl, but she won't answer any of our questions," Hikaru complained.

"Well, after what a witnessed, I'm not surprised she won't talk," Kyouya said.

Akemi flinched every time someone spoke. Her body was shaking with fear. What were they going to do to her? Were they working with Kerria.

"Whatever I did, just please don't tell anyone," Akemi whispered.

"You didn't do anything wrong, and why would you want us not to tell anyone?" Kyouya questioned.

"Uh, I have to go, class is going to start," Akemi attempted to leave, but her exit was blocked by the twins.

"You can't leave yet," Kaoru wagged his finger.

"Yeah, Kyouya saw you get beat up behind the school today, so you're not leaving until you tell us what's going on," Hikaru commanded.

"Guys, let her go," Haruhi said. "If this is really what's going on, then she might feel uncomfortable or scared, so let her go. If she doesn't want to talk, then she doesn't have to."

Hikaru and Kaoru reluctantly opened the doors.

"Thank you," Akemi whispered, then left to get to her next class.

"I want all of you to keep a close eye on her since she's in your class," Kyouya demanded. "Tell Mori and Honey-senpai, too, but don't let Tamaki know about this, he'd just screw everything up."

* * *

Akemi sat on the roof, deciding to skip class for the first time in her life. Etsu sat beside her.

They sat in comfortable silence, staring at the dark clouds rolling by. Snow threatened to start, but neither of the girls cared.

They sat like that for the rest of the day until the sun began to set.

"Akemi, I love you," Etsu said, crying. "You're the only friend that I've ever had, and I thank you for that. You're so good to me, and you don't tease me for being a cry baby all the time, and you don't care about what others think either. You're a hero, you really are, and you're pretty too, even if you don't believe it." There was a pause. "Winter is calm and gentle, and I love it very much. It's my favorite season."

They sat for a few more moments until they decided that it was about time to get home.

When they reached the gate, Etsu gave Akemi a tight hug.

"Thank you, stay strong, and goodbye," Etsu whispered.

With the words that Etsu had said ringing in her ears, Akemi got in the limo and waved to Etsu.

"I hope you know that I love you, too! You're a really brave girl and I appreciate that!" Akemi yelled with the brightest smile ever painted across her face.

Etsu smiled back with equivalent brightness, and tears clung to her long eyelashes as she waved to Akemi.


	3. Problems

_**~Alright, it's been forever but I finally have enough writing to update! I might only be able to update every few months, but I always try to update quickly, but it's a struggle since I have to balance between my school time, hanging out with friends, and watching anime! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story.**_

* * *

The limo pulled up to the huge mansion, and Akemi rushed inside so that she wouldn't be late for dinner. Her whole family ate in silence as they usually did, until Akemi stood up from the table and rushed to the nearest bathroom, throwing up whatever food she had consumed.

This caused quite a lot of concern back at the dining table, and soon everyone followed to see what was wrong.

They found Akemi leaning over the toilet, her face gaunt and pale.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Her mother asked in concern, rubbing her back.

"It's nothing, I just… I haven't eaten for awhile so my stomach just isn't used to eating this much food. But don't worry, I'll be fine," Akemi consoled.

"Alright, just don't forget to eat, we don't want you to get sick," Her father advised.

The family went back to their dinner and Akemi went and sat on her bed, Etsu's words haunting her mind for hours until she realized it was morning.

* * *

Akemi walked onto the school grounds in a daze, her head was foggy due to the lack of sleep, and she didn't notice the gathering crowd for a few moments.

When she did see it, the first thing she noticed was where they were gathering, it was right underneath the section of the roof where she and Etsu usually met up.

Akemi remembered the words that Etsu had whispered to her.

 _Thank you, stay strong, and goodbye_.

Akemi started to push through the crowd, disregarding the fact that she was shoving people out of her way. When she reached the front of the crowd, she wished she had stayed back.

It was Etsu. She was dead.

She must've commit suicide that night and jumped off the roof. There was no blood, but it was obvious that her neck was completely snapped in half.

Akemi gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as tears started streaking down her face.

She walked forward a few steps until she was at Etsu's side.

The small girl looked at peace in her now eternal slumber. Her feet were bare since her shoes had been left on the roof, and her skin was as pale as the snow she had landed on.

Akemi collapsed onto her knees in the snow.

"No, no, no, no," She whispered, her tears making marks in the snow as they fell.

"Etsu, why! We agreed that we wouldn't do it!" She screamed, her tears only coming faster. She felt hands on her arms, dragging her away.

She kept screaming Etsu's name, struggling to stay by her side, but the hands that were dragging her away were much stronger than her thin weak body and she collapsed in exhaustion and just kept crying, unable to stop her tears this time.

She saw teachers begin to show up and disperse the crowd.

"Etsu," Akemi whispered as she was dragged into music room three.

* * *

She was set on a couch where she cried her heart out, her tears never ending.

Eventually, the whole Host Club was gathered around her, watching the broken girl cry.

"What's going on?" Tamaki asked. "Kyouya, you told me that nothing was happening and that she was fine, this is obviously not the case."  
Everyone in the room stared blankly at a different object, not wanting to answer Tamaki's question.

"It's our job as hosts to make sure that all of our customers are happy, and that includes everyone at this school, and we let someone commit suicide on our watch!"

Tamaki was furious now. He hadn't even known Etsu yet he was getting so upset.

"It's not your fault," Akemi whispered. "It's mine."

She had stopped crying and was now sitting still, her hands clenched into fists, her face solemn.

"She said something to me last night before I went home, and I should have asked her about it, but I just ignored it. None of you have to take the blame, it was my fault. I'm a horrible friend. She couldn't have meant all that nice stuff that she said about me."

The last part was but a whisper, but it was still heard by the majority of the hosts.

Akemi stood up and walked to the door, "Don't worry, I have everything under control, no one but me will be blamed for this."

* * *

True to her word, the rumor that Akemi had bullied Etsu into committing suicide spread throughout the school like wildfire, and everyone believed it, that is, excluding the members of the Host Club and the true villains.

Akemi wasn't seen for the rest of the day, and neither were Kerria and her three friends.

The school was trying its best to keep the students under control and to keep them from spreading rumors, but they failed.

The next day, all five girls came to school again, Kerria and her friends their normal selves, but Akemi was different.

She didn't speak to anyone, not even the teachers, and whenever anyone near her moved or spoke she flinched. During class, she would stare at the flower that sat on the desk in front of her. Her eyes were blank and void of emotions, and when she moved, she would wince as if she was in pain, and during breaks, no one saw her. From what everyone knew, she never even ate. Whenever the members of the Host Club saw her, they knew something was up and made sure to keep a close eye on her.

After school, she went and sat at the spot that Etsu's body had been discovered until her limo driver got out of the limo and came to get her.

This pattern repeated for the next week, and the Host Club didn't know what to do, they never had experience fixing this sort of situation, so they sat by and watched, keeping a very upset Tamaki at bay.

"Okay! I've had enough of this!" Tamaki blurted out after watching the limo driver pick up Akemi. "The poor girl just lost her best friend, and we're doing nothing about it!"

"But, Boss," Hikaru spoke up, "That's the thing, we don't know what to do."

"Yeah, this is the first time someone that went to Ouran has ever killed themselves," Kaoru explained.

"Maybe she just needs some cake," Honey suggested.

"That's a great idea, Honey-senpai, but I think she just needs some time alone," Haruhi said. "Trust me, I've been through this before. When my mom died, I just wanted to be alone for awhile, and these two, they've obviously been through a lot based on what Akemi said when she saw her friend."

"' _We agreed that we wouldn't do it,'_ " Mori quoted.

"Are you saying that both of them intended to commit suicide?" Tamaki asked, shocked.

"No, but they obviously thought about it, and one of them went through with it although they promised not to," Haruhi explained.

"We still don't know the full situation yet," Kyouya stated. "I promise that I will begin to look into it now."

"This whole situation has the school in shambles," Tamaki said. "How are we going to fix this?"

"Perhaps you should try talking to your father about this, Tamaki?" Kyouya asked.

"That's a good idea, he'll know what to do!" Tamaki immediately started to walk towards his father's office, followed by the rest of the Host Club.


	4. How Can it Be Fixed?

_**~I need to stop making lame excuses to why I'm so inconsistent with posting new chapters. What really happens is I just lose inspiration. Yes, school and other stuff have been a bit distracting, but I've had plenty of time to write more chapters. I won't abandon this story, and I'll see it through to the end. For all of you that have stuck around and followed my story, thank you for your patience, and enjoy this new chapter.~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story.**_

* * *

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Tamaki said to his father. "You're supposed to know what to do!"

Yuzuru looked at his agitated son. "I'm sorry, but we're trying the best we can. Right now we're dealing with the parent's of Etsu, the girl who died. They're threatening to sue Akemi's parents due to the rumors of their daughter bullying her into suicide."

"But none of that's true!"

"Tamaki, it doesn't matter what you say, something happened and someone has to take the blame."

"But why her? It obviously wasn't her fault, can't you do anything about this?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't. If she really is getting beaten then we need her word on it, and proof too."

"Well, we can produce proof that she was in fact beaten," Kyouya said, producing a disk from his pocket. "But we'd still need her testament saying that this video is indeed the real thing and isn't faked."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Honey asked.

"Yeah, she hasn't spoken a single word to anyone since Etsu's death," Haruhi pointed out.

"I don't know how we'll do it, but we need to before it gets any worse," Kyouya stated.

"Let's host a party," Tamaki said.

"A party?" Mori asked.

"Now's not the time for a party, boss," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, right now everyone's mourning the loss of a classmate that they never even paid attention to," Hikaru shook his head as he said this.

"That's exactly why we should throw a party! It'll get everyone in a better mood! We can also tell Akemi's parent's about it and they can make her go. It'll be formal, we can make it a ball! Everyone enjoys a good ball once in awhile!"

"It would also help promote the club," Kyouya said. "We can kill three birds with one stone."

"Great!" Tamaki exclaimed. "It's settled then! The Host Club will be having a grand ball next Friday!"

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman! The Ouran Highschool Host Club is very happy to welcome you to our winter masquerade ball!" Tamaki announced and everyone began to applaud. He wore a ravishing white suit with a red rose pinned to it, along with a white mask that covered the top half of his face. "The night's events will include dancing and socializing. We hope you all enjoy!"

As soon as Tamaki finished his welcome, he walked over to the rest of the Host Club as the band began to play.

"Has anyone seen her come in yet?" Tamaki asked.

"Not yet, Boss," Hikaru and Kaoru said, looking at the entrance.

"It appears she hasn't shown up yet," Kyouya commented, adjusting his glasses.

"Her parents promised that she would make it," Haruhi said. "So just be patient."

"What if she doesn't show up?" Tamaki asked, starting to pace. "Then the whole plan will fail, and we'll be back to square one."

"She's here!" Honey said from upon Mori's shoulders.

"Are you sure it's her? Everyone is on masks, why did I think a masquerade was a good idea?" Tamaki questioned himself.

"Yeah, it's her," Hikaru confirmed. "No one else is that skinny."

Indeed, it was Akemi that had entered. She wore a flowing red dress with a white, feathered mask that covered the top half of her face. Her hair was put into a bun, with a few curls coming loose and framing her face.

Tamaki blushed, realizing that he thought she looked beautiful, and not in the way he thinks of his customers.

"Well, why don't we go and mingle a bit," Kyouya suggested. "We wouldn't want to leave our customers unsatisfied."

The Host Club split up, asking young ladies to dance with them. They always made sure that no one was left out.

Tamaki made his way over to Akemi, who was resting against a wall, looking out a window at the falling snow.

"May I have this dance?" Tamaki asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

"Winter is so cruel. It's plain and cold, don't you think?" She asked, still looking out the window.

"Personally, I believe that winter is the most beautiful season of them all."

Akemi turned to face Tamaki, her eyes reflecting so much sadness that it gave Tamaki the urge to hug her close and make her forget about all the sadness she had to endure.

But, she took Tamaki's hand and he led them onto the dancefloor.

 _What's the point in hiding from Kerria anymore?_ Akemi thought. _I have nothing left to protect, I have nothing to live for. No one cares for me anymore, no one will listen to me. I've become numb, more so than before. If Kerria sees, then she can beat me until I let out my last breath, it doesn't matter anymore, it will all end tonight._

Tamaki and Akemi twirled about the dance floor, Akemi tripping over her feet sometimes from getting lightheaded, but Tamaki would catch her and keep the rhythm going.

"I was at Etsu's funeral," Tamaki commented. "I didn't see you there."

"I'm not welcome there. It's my fault she's dead."

"How is it your fault? You two were friends. You were close and she trusted you with all of her secrets, and you trusted her."

"I wasn't there when she needed me. I listened but I didn't help her. I never really knew what she was feeling."

"But you both had similar feelings, of being outcasts and unwanted, of being mistreated and abused."

"It doesn't matter now anyways. You can't change the past," Akemi's eyes glistened with remorse.

The two danced in silence for awhile.

"Why do you wear those cuffs around your arm?" Tamaki asked, looking at the white cuffs that covered both of her forearms. "You could have just gone without a sleeveless dress if you were cold."

"It's… it's nothing," She said, casting her eyes downward. "You wouldn't care anyways."

The last words were mumbled, but Tamaki still heard them, and it stung. He was not a mean or hurtful person. He genuinely cared about everyone's feelings and took them all into consideration.

Tamaki took Akemi off the dance floor and into a nook in the wall, and reached out and pulled her cuff down far enough to see what she was trying to cover before she pulled away.

He saw all of the slits in her arm, some more recent than others, and he almost felt sick. Not by the appearance of her arm, but by the fact that she had been cutting herself for that long and he had not known, nor done anything about it.

Akemi pulled the cuff back up her arm. "I-I have to go. I have to go and finish something."

Akemi rushed off, leaving Tamaki behind.

"What happened?" Kyouya asked.

"Gather the Host Club," Tamaki ordered. "I have a really bad feeling right now."


	5. It Will Get Better Now

_**~For the first time ever, I actually uploaded a new chapter earlier than a month! Congrats to me on actually getting stuff out of my brain and into my computer. I think that there might only be one or two chapters after this, so this story is beginning to wrap itself up! Keep tuned to find out what else I'll be posting after this. I actually have a lot of fanfics written, I just never posted them. So, enjoy this next chapter, it's a good one.~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story.**_

* * *

"She's been cutting herself," Tamaki stated, covering his mouth after he spoke as if saying it out loud had made it all too real.

"What?" Both Hitachiins said.

"This is even more serious now," Kyouya said, seeming to be nervous about something.  
"I shouldn't have told you to leave her alone, it's my fault we didn't do anything sooner," Haruhi said, practically shaking.

"No, it's not your fault, all of us are at fault," Mori said, finally taking part in the matter.

"Mori's right," Kyouya said, "We're all to blame at this point. Although, we have a more concerning matter to deal with now rather than dwelling on past mistakes. Does anyone know where Akemi went?"

The whole group stood in silence. None of them had paid much attention to where the girl had run off to.

"Well, that answers that," Kyouya sighed at the group's inability to pay attention to detail. "Split up and search for her. She couldn't have gotten far."

* * *

Standing alone on the edge of the roof, leaning against the new fence, Akemi hugged her arms closer to her sides. It was cold out, and her dress didn't help keep her very warm. She didn't mind it, though.

Akemi sat there, watching the stars before they were covered with a snow cloud.

She contemplated Tamaki's words. _Personally, I believe that winter is the most beautiful season of them all_. Although he wasn't directly referring to her, she still felt like he wanted her to know that that was what he thought of her. He thought she was beautiful.

Even with that thought, Akemi denied it. There was no way that Tamaki thought of her like that in any sort of way. He probably despised her. For what, Akemi didn't know, but everyone seemed to have a reason to hate her these days, whether they were true or not.

She wondered what her parents would think. When they woke up the next morning to find that their eldest daughter wasn't home yet. Akemi wondered if they would mourn for her. She wondered if anyone would grieve the loss of such a boring and shameful person.

Her death wouldn't make a difference. The world would keep spinning, the hours would keep going, people would go about their lives like normal.

Her small, painful life was insignificant compared to all the people she was surrounded by.

She was done with everything. She was done with Kerria for abusing her. She was done with her family for expecting too much from her. She was done with Etsu for the grief and sorrow her death caused Akemi. She was done with Tamaki for making her fall in love and giving her false hope that he might love her back. She was done with the Host Club for being so nice to her, even if they probably didn't care for her. She was done with Ouran Academy, for starting all of the bullying and torment and expectations starting in the first place. She was done with the world for making her feel so inconsequential.

Akemi couldn't feel her feet, which were bare against the snow covered roof. Her shoes had been long discarded a few feet beside her, along with the mask she had to wear to the ball.

She reached behind her head and let her hair fall down her back. She took one long breath before climbing over to the other side of the fence. Akemi looked down at the distant ground.

 _This is it_ , She thought. _This is the end. No one needs me. Now one_ wants _me. I should just… disappear_.

Tears began to stream down her face, and she was about to let go of the railing before she heard it.

"Akemi!"

She gasped, grasping tightly to the fence as she slowly turned to see the face to the voice that she recognized.

"Akemi, what are you doing?" Tamaki sounded hurt as he asked her this question even though he knew the answer. He came as close as he dared, standing only a few feet away from her.

"Nobody should care, so why are you here?"

"Why am I here? I came for you! I can't let you do this!" Tamaki looked exasperated. "How can you even _think_ about doing this to yourself!"

"I don't belong here, everybody hates me because of who I am. I'm the lowest link in the social chain, nobody needs me. Nobody would care if I was gone, so _why are you here?_ "

Tamaki was practically pulling his hair out. She just _didn't understand_. How could she think she was worthless? She was beautiful and kind, and she could be a bit cold sometimes, or a bit awkward, but that was what Tamaki loved about her. Loved? Did Tamaki love her? He took a moment to consider this. There were many people he loved, but he had never loved someone romantically.

 _Yes_. He thought. He did love Akemi. It may not be very deep right now, but it had the potential to be.

"Akemi, why can't you understand? I-" Tamaki began blushing wildly. Now wasn't the best time for a confession, but he felt like she needed to hear this. "I like you, okay? Like, _like_ like you. I don't get why you think you're so unimportant. You're _so_ much more than that! So, can you please come with me? You can be so much more, as long as you don't end it here. You have so much potential, and Etsu would've wanted you to live on for her. She would've wanted you to grow up and take over your family business, and be successful! She would've wanted you to make a family and grow old and enjoy life to the fullest! So, _please_ , come down."

Akemi looked shocked at hearing this from him. She never expected him to reciprocate the feelings she had for him. She had never expected him to think _anything_ of her.

Tears continued to stream down her face. She nodded her head as she began climbing back over the fence.

Once on the safe side, Akemi crumpled and Tamaki wrapped her in his arms. She began sobbing into his chest. She had been so close to making a decision she would've regretted. If Tamaki hadn't been there to coax her down, she would be dead right now. He helped her to realize that even though she felt unimportant, she could _make_ herself important. He made her realize that Etsu wouldn't want her to end like this. He made her realize that even if there was only one small thing worth living for, she should still hold onto it.

Tamaki rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her as she sobbed.

"Everything will get better now. Don't worry, you're safe."

Akemi felt Tamaki press a light kiss to the top of her head.

Soon, Kyouya and the rest of the host club showed up. They took Akemi to the hospital, just to make sure she was okay. She'd be staying there for a few days, just to make sure that she okay physically and mentally.

But, for the first time in her life, she felt appreciated.


	6. Her Happy Ending

**_Disclaimer: I do not on Ouran High School Host Club, I only own my OCs and the story._**

* * *

"You doing okay now?" Tamaki asked as he walked into the hospital room.

"Oh, Tamaki!" Akemi said in surprise as she got up and gave him a hug. "I'm doing a lot better than I ever have before. The Host Club visits me occasionally, and so do my family members. I haven't seen my mom yet, though. I probably made her feel like she raised me wrong and that it's her fault, but that's not it at all!"

Akemi's complexion was better. Her skin was a brighter color, and there was a hint of a blush in her cheeks. She was still quite skinny, but the nurses made sure that she ate and got nutrition.

Her mental state was getting better, too. Tamaki had seen her smile more than ever before, and she was even excited for her visitors to come and see her. She still had a bit of depression, but Tamaki knew that she would be able to pull through. She was strong, and even if memories from this time stayed with her, she would be able to pull strength from them instead of sorrow.

Wounds heal, but they still leave scars.

Tamaki sat down with Akemi and they talked with each other. Akemi would giggle whenever Tamaki tried to make a joke or started stumbling over his words. That was good. Tamaki loved to make her laugh just so he could look at her smile. He'd never been able to see it before but now he loved it. It was beautiful and radiant and pure. Everything about this girl was just _so_ _beautiful_ to him.

"Hey, Akemi?" Tamaki asked.

"What is it?" Akemi said in between giggles.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

Akemi's face flushed bright red.

"I-I love you too, Tamaki."

Tamaki leaned towards her and gave her a gentle kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds, and they both wished it could have been longer, but visiting hours were over and the nurses would be in soon to force Tamaki to leave.

They had forever together from now on anyways, so Akemi felt that she could wait a bit longer to have Tamaki to herself.

* * *

When Akemi's visit to the hospital ended, she came back to school as usual. Of course, Kerria and her group were expelled after Akemi's testimony that they did assault her regularly.

Akemi's parents apologized to her for not noticing her pain sooner, and her mother broke down in tears, telling her that she would never forget about her again. Akemi's siblings paid closer attention to their sister and made sure to talk with her a few times a day.

Etsu's grave was now visited regularly by Akemi, who would just sit there and talk about her day. Akemi wanted a way to thank Etsu for being there for her, and that was the only way she knew how. She would always make sure that there were fresh flowers at the grave and that it was kept clean and tidy, just like Etsu would want it.

The Host Club accepted Akemi as an assistant manager to Renge. They all became close friends that were inseparable even after they all graduated.

As for Tamaki and Akemi, they had a happy ending, becoming lovers and eventually moving to France together. Tamaki's grandmother accepted their engagement since Akemi was the heir to a rather proficient company.

Now, there's much more to this story than that, but the important part is that Akemi found her happy ending. She found her light that helped to guide her and to live on.

* * *

 _ **~Wow, I actually finished it? Hurray for me! And for you too, so that you can actually get an ending to the story. I wish that this last chapter was longer, but I couldn't think of much else to put in it that would make a good ending. Anyways, I personally like this ending, and I hope that you do too! Stay tuned to my account for more fanfics that I should be uploading soon.~**_

 _ **~kuromochii**_


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